Born to Raise Hell
by Chukfi Losa
Summary: The story of Mephistopheles and Providence. He was made to be Her companion, and would always be Her most beloved creation. Yet even She couldn't foresee the the hard times ahead for him, or the dark turn their relationship would take later. (Co-written with Sephypsycologist)
1. Chapter 1

From the start was Providence, a wise and powerful lady who created this universe because... She felt like it.

Providence loved to experiment; combine this with that, squish it down, and see what happens. Elaborate plans were Her forte, although She had a tendency to get absorbed into one aspect and forget the rest.

However, after creating so many things – like dirt and chairs and nifty suits… She grew lonely. She was the only thinking, feeling thing in existence, and it was sad to be alone.

So, She began to create a companion. It would be nice to have someone loyal and playful like her! And it'd be great to be able to hold them close and run around with them…

She wound up creating dogs – and don't get Her wrong, dogs are great! But they don't talk…and they're a lot of work.

She tried again. Maybe something not so energetic all the time? Something that makes a nice sound, and is warm and can take care of itself somewhat…and thus, cats.

It went on like this over and over again. Each time a different animal was being churned out and ending up not what She wanted, and it made Her sad when they died. So, after the primates failed to be Her helpers, She began making angels.

She made them like Herself to begin with: Azrael, Cassiel, Sachiel, Sandalphon, Haniel…. They were lovely girls, and each different, but they were too similar to Herself, and their adoration of Her was touching, but overwhelming.

Then She had the idea of a "male." It would be quite different from Herself and the girls…and maybe give Her more of what She wanted.

Thus Gabriel, Michael, Uriel, and Raphael came to be, but again, their love was automatic. That wasn't what She wanted at all. They could think and they could feel, but they couldn't _choose._ And they couldn't change things like She could – only with Her permission.

She was almost done with this particular experiment. She could content Herself, but…

"...Okay, maybe the six hundred and sixty-sixth try is the charm..." She murmured, carefully shaping this being. Immortal, yes, but She'd have him age a bit first. She wanted to watch him develop and change, and that was one thing that would strengthen his difference from the others. But She already knew what he would grow into, molding it into him now. Tall and thin…not the most macho of men, but handsome in his own way.

And then, there was the fire.

Fire was another creation of Hers, and She wanted to put it to good use in the making of this new little one. Fire could be warm and beautiful, but it could also be very powerful. She wanted him to be warm to the touch and nice to hug, so not _only_ was he filled with hot lava and bright yellow "blood," but the tuft of orange hair on his head resembled a flame, too.

She let the new body come to rest in front of Her and smiled as he began to move: the small, cuddly version of Her perfect companion. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, which were still sleepy and closed.

"Hello, Mephistopheles!" She said with a proud grin. "Happy birthday, little guy!"

On hearing his name, he opened his bright golden eyes and smiled, giggling cutely at the happy face in front of him.

Providence then reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a round, ring-like shape.

A halo just for him.

All of the other angels She had made before him had one, and now it was his turn. She placed it above his head and it began to glow, staying suspended in the air. Letting out an amused squeak, the redheaded toddler reached up to touch the strange round thing his new friend had given him.

Still smiling from ear to ear, Prov then gave his nose a tiny poke. He twitched and sneezed, causing a small pair of wings to fluff out from his back.

Finally, She picked him up and gave him a loving hug. The lava and the fire had done its job; he was pleasantly warm, unlike so many of the others who were cool and misty like the cosmos that surrounded them. Sighing happily, little Meph hugged Her back, and Prov kissed his forehead.

"Welcome to Heaven, Mephistopheles."

He was perfect.


	2. Chapter 2

In the heart of Heaven was a great mansion that belonged to Providence. It stood three stories high and was painted in brilliant white and gold, standing out spectacularly amongst the glowing celestial gardens that surrounded it. Attached to it was a grandiose workshop where Providence spent much of Her time creating new things, including Her angel companions and Her new little Mephistopheles. She hoped that someday this newest creation would be at Her side in the workshop as Her assistant, second opinion and dearest friend...

But that would have to wait. For now, he needed to be properly cared for so that he could grow strong and healthy, and since Providence still had much work to do elsewhere – expanding Her realm and continuing to improve it – She was going to need a little help caring for him. So, She called upon two of Her most loyal angels, Gabriel and Michael.

Providence smiled as She saw the two of them enter the room. Michael, so energetic, and Gabriel, so nervous and reserved. She chuckled, then said softly, "Boys, you ready for your new assignment?"

Gabriel nodded sagely, and Michael crowed, "Yeah! What're we gonna do? Gather star dust? Bring up some of that gooey sea weed?"

Their maker grinned and reached into a small cage-like structure behind Her.

"Nope. You two…" She turned and showed them the wriggling little boy in purple pajamas, "...are going to look after your little brother."

Both of them cautiously approached, amazed by the little red-headed toddler. Gabriel asked slowly, "So…this is a baby angel? I thought this was Sandalphon's department."

"Sandy," Michael corrected him. "She likes to be called 'Sandy.'"

Gabriel just rolled his eyes.

Providence cooed as She adjusted Her hold on the child, stating, "Usually, yes. But I finally made what I wanted, so he's special. That's why I'm giving babysitting duty to you two. You're the ones I trust most with him. He's going to grow up to be very important."

Michael was excited.

"Aww, man, he's so tiny!" he exclaimed. "Can we throw him around? He can fly already, right?"

"No, no, no, no, _no_ – no throwing just yet."

She laughed, making Her tiny passenger giggle happily as well. Then She continued.

"No, I just need you two to take care of him while I'm busy creating. Keep him safe and happy, play with him – _gently._ " Providence gave Michael a look. "Teach him how to talk properly and that kind of thing. I'll be doing a lot with him, but you guys get to help."

The little angel's downy wings were fluttering as he nuzzled into Prov's shoulder, clearly sleepy. Gabriel gave a solemn look and said pompously, "We would be honored to accept this mission from you, My Lady."

His cohort nodded vigorously: "Yeah, for real!" This earned Michael an elbow to the side for his "casual attitude."

Providence was pleased with them, and handed over Her project to Gabriel, causing the child to whimper. He'd never been held by anybody else.

"His name is Mephistopheles, and he'll probably settle down once you put him in his bed."

She gave the toddler a soft pat on the head, assuring him, "This is your brother Gabriel, Mephy. He and Michael are going to take care of you while I'm busy, okay? You be a good little boy."

* * *

Gabriel carried the small angel down the hall, Michael following behind him.

"Y'know, Gabe," said Michael, "I don't really get why Her Grace made this little guy...or all those other babies...but you gotta admit, he's pretty cute."

Gabriel looked down at their new brother, who was still fussing a bit in his arms but seemed to be getting tired. "Yes...I suppose so."

He opened the door to the room that Providence had set aside for her latest creation—he was to be the only angel to live alongside Her in the mansion. It was decorated in peaceful blue pastel tones, with a star and cloud motif on the bedding and floor rug. Gabriel placed Meph in the small golden cradle and tucked him in, pleased when the baby angel went to sleep shortly afterwards.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," said Gabriel quietly.

Michael nodded. "Yeah, this'll be easy! A piece of angel food cake!"

Meph started crying. Softly at first, but it soon got progressively louder.

"Or...maybe not..."

Looking around frantically, Gabriel found a cute purple rattle on one of the bedside tables and shook it in Meph's face. "Shhh, it's all right, it's all right..."

Meph just swatted the rattle away and kept crying.

"L-Lemme try something, Gabe," Michael went over to the cradle and leaned over his crying brother, covering his eyes and then uncovering them. "Peek a boo!"

Meph blinked at him for a second, then went back to wailing and screaming, kicking the blanket off himself and wriggling around.

"What's wrong with him?" Michael yelled. "Does he miss Her Grace or what?!"

Shaking his head, Gabriel was about to open the door when Providence Herself came in.

"What happened? I could hear him all the way to my workshop!"

While She picked up the desperately upset toddler, Gabriel explained, "We don't know. He just started whining, and then he cried, and then he screamed!"

Prov shushed the baby, who began hiccupping in his tears and burying his head in Her shoulder.

"Oooh, I think I know what's wrong. Come here, baby, let me help you." She snapped her fingers and materialized a little green sippy cup with tiny suns painted on it. "Here you go, little guy. I got you."

Meph sniffled and took his cup, drinking the contents and quieting down.

Michael slowly lowered his hands from his ears. "What's that for?"

Providence held Her tiny creation close as She explained. "This is milk for his stomachaches. I made him with fire and lava, and it makes his poor little tummy get upset now and then. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

Her question was answered by a little kicking, and a bit of a smile.

"Yeah, there's my happy little man."

Prov nuzzled him, then turned to the angels. "I'm sorry, boys; I forgot to tell you about the lava. I'll make sure you have a good supply of milk for him from now on."

Gabriel stared at his little brother, who was now getting sleepy again. "He…has to consume things? He feels pain?"

Surprised by this reaction, Prov nodded. "Er…yes. I told you he was special."

Michael grinned. "Woooow, we really _do_ have to take care of him. He's almost like an animal!"

"No." This comment apparently made Prov very unhappy. "He is _not_ an animal. He's an angel just like the rest of you. He's just capable of _more_. I made him to be my companion. He has the capability to choose, and to feel. Do you understand? Both of you?"

Taken aback by her anger, the two angels nodded, answering in unison, "Yes, my Lady."

"Good."

She smiled again, taking the empty cup and setting Meph back down in his bed. "Now you let him sleep, and I'll be back later to check on you three." Kissing the toddler on the head, She got up and patted the other two boys on the back. "You can handle it from now on."

Gabriel's eyes narrowed as he watched his maker leave the room.

"I don't like this, Michael. With choice, and without absolute loyalty, there is room for…disobedience."

Michael nodded. "Yeah, but he's so little. What harm could he do?"

"He will grow, Michael. And we'll be waiting when that happens." Gabriel glared at the dozing child angel.

The seeds of rivalry were already germinating.


	3. Chapter 3

Before long (though time as we know it didn't exist yet), Providence's new little one grew into a playful, boisterous young boy. He was very active and – in spite of the lingering troubles with the lava – very healthy. Just as before, he spent much of his time in the care of Gabriel and Michael, although Providence regularly came to see him in between projects. He was intensely fond of Her and was always sad when She left, even though the bond between Providence and Her creations was so strong that they could always feel Her presence, even if She wasn't around.

Now, Mephistopheles had never been to Providence's room in the mansion – not since he was "born," anyhow. Nor had he ever ventured outside the mansion grounds. But he had almost no need to – there was plenty there to keep him busy.

There was the great garden full of all sorts of trees and plants, many of which that bore delicious fruits; tastier than anything in the world today, in fact. Though he never truly felt hungry and had no real need to eat food, he enjoyed the taste of the garden fruits, especially the apples.

Near the garden was the menagerie where the animals Providence created were kept. He had a nasty habit of pulling the animal's ears and grabbing their tails, but luckily they were all quite tame and never bit him. His brothers especially liked the lions and the lambs, but for some reason or another, Mephy liked the goats and snakes best. He was so fond of the goats, in fact, that Haniel made him a little goat plushie as a gift.

On this particular day, however, his usual routine was going to change: it was time for his brothers to give him his first tour of Providence's glorious realm. He was excited about it and ready to go, but first, he needed to wait for Gabriel to finish giving his report to Providence.

Presently, he was passing the time in the garden, looking under the rocks for worms and bugs. He spotted Michael relaxing under a tree some distance away and smiled. Maybe they could play for a bit; even though Michael was rough with him, he enjoyed his company more so than pompous, straight-laced Gabriel.

The little angel scampered over to Michael and asked excitedly, "Mike, can we play? Gabe is taking a long time."

Michael lazily opened his eyes: "Whatcha got in mind?"

Meph drew closer to his brother and leaned on him, stating, "Wrestling!"

Michael chuckled softly, raising an eyebrow. "Kid, you know you always lose against me."

"But maybe this time I won't!"

Michael laughed again, sitting up straight. "Dream on..."

Meph gave Michael a hearty shove, trying to knock him down. The next thing he knew, his brother grabbed him by the shirt collar and pinned him to the ground.

"It's no use, bro. I'm the strongest and you know it."

Meph scowled, wriggling in the larger angel's grasp, crying, "Just you wait till I'm bigger, Mike! I'll get you one of these days!"

"Michael! Mephistopheles!" A certain plummy voice commanded. The two quarreling angels turned in the direction of the voice and saw Gabriel staring at them with arms folded.

Michael laughed nervously and let Meph go, rising to his feet.

"Heh, I-I wasn't expecting you to finish up so soon. I tried not to get him _too_ dirty."

Meph stood up and brushed some dirt off his clothes and fanned his wings out. Gabriel was always big on cleanliness and order, and Michael and Meph both knew he would be no different today.

Gabriel continued staring reproachfully at them for a moment. Then he cleared his throat and said crisply, "We will be taking our tour now."

Excited, the smaller angel smiled up at his babysitters, but Gabriel just gave him the usual cold nod, taking his hand securely and pulling him along. Michael followed after, shrugging.

The gates of Providence's mansion opened, and Meph was amazed something so big could move without being alive. As Gabriel pulled him through them, he noticed the glittering gold and silver inlays, and how interesting the pictures carved into them were. He'd have to look at them more closely later.

Gabriel pulled Meph into the circle of buildings surrounding Providence's mansion and began a long speech.

"Here is where the archangels live. That designation belongs to the angels who were first created by Her Grace, such as Michael and myself."

Meph immediately interrupted: "Which house is your house? Do you have nice things inside? Can I see?"

Michael grinned, but Gabriel was highly displeased. "Mephistopheles! What have I told you about interrupting me?"

"Um…don't do it…" Meph frowned and looked up. "But…"

"No 'buts,' young angel."

Gabriel glared at the child; he _was_ the disciplinarian, after all.

Meph felt more than a little hurt and angry. Gabriel always did that; he wanted to know things, but Gabriel never let him ask questions to find out. It was like questions were insulting to him. It wasn't a personal attack; Meph was just naturally curious, and since each house was so different from each other, he wanted to know. The base house was always a lovely columned porch with a large mini-mansion behind it, but they were painted in so many different colors and there were so many decorations on some of them. These seemed like interesting places and the child had only wanted to explore.

Clearing his throat, Gabriel continued: "This is known as the first circle. It is the most important other than the central importance of Her Grace, and is where most of the initial orders come down. It is also the smallest of the eight outer regions beyond the mansion. Now if you follow me down this road…"

It wasn't like they had a choice. Meph was dragged away from the first circle and outward, despite trying in vain to see what the other houses behind the mansion looked like.

"Here is the second circle; the seraphs occupy these homes, and this is also the setting for the angel school which you will soon attend, Mephistopheles."

Gabriel turned to his young charge. "You must always behave at school. No yelling, no questioning rules, no fighting, nothing at all. You are an angel, not a beast. None of the other angels will tolerate your misbehavior as Michael and I have."

The idea of Gabriel tolerating anything was absurd, and it took all of the willpower Meph had not to laugh. Michael, however, _did_ laugh, and that earned him a clout to the shoulder.

"You may have gotten a pass before because you were so young," Gabriel continued, "but you have grown, and it's time you learned to behave. And don't you dare think Her Grace will tolerate your misbehavior now either."

Meph was always a little confused and dismayed when he heard his brothers refer to Providence as "Her Grace" or "Her Majesty" or anything else of similar formality. To him, She was always just "Provvy" – his first and closest friend. He didn't understand why his brothers didn't see Her the same way he did.

"But Provvy's always nice to me," he said.

Gabriel turned and gave his brother a serious look. "Don't call Her that."

"Why? She doesn't mind."

"It's not proper. I know you're closer to Her than the rest of us are, but you must never forget that She isn't just a friend. She's also the master of everything you see, and She won't hesitate to discipline any angel who steps out of line."

"What do you mean, step out of line?"

Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "Haven't I told you about what happens to rebellious angels?"

"Oh, _that_ ," Meph rolled his eyes a little. "Yeah…they lose their wings and stuff."

"And?"

Mephy blinked and thought for a moment: "…And they get bandied from Heaven."

"Banished," Gabriel corrected him. "Sent to The Great Pit for all time."

Meph raised his eyebrows and tilted his head. He hadn't heard that part before.

"Great Pit? What's so great about it?"

"Nothing!" Gabriel shot back. "Nothing is great about it! It's the one place where Her Majesty's presence does not reach...or perhaps I should say, _cannot_ reach. You'd be separated from Her forever if you wound up there."

Meph's eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. "Wh-Why can't it reach there?"

Gabriel hesitated briefly before answering. "Because She made it that way and She has Her reasons."

Meph frowned: "That's what you always say!"

"Hush!" Gabriel leaned forward, giving the boy a stern look. "No more questions."

Meph looked down, letting his wings droop.

"Now, on with the tour..."

* * *

Mephistopheles paid little attention to the rest of the tour, staying quiet the whole time. The rest of his home was certainly full of wonder and beauty – the grand, sparkling buildings of the main city, the glimmering golden streets, the waters as clear as glass, to name but a few things, but he showed no signs of interest or excitement and seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

Gabriel was pleased with the silence; it was rare for Mephistopheles to shut that sassy, questioning mouth of his. But Michael was a little worried. As they headed back to the mansion to take Mephy home, Michael nudged his brother's shoulder.

"You feeling okay?"

"Y-Yeah...I'm fine..." Meph answered quietly, still keeping his head down.

Michael frowned, unconvinced. "Having another bellyache? You can have a glass of milk when we get back..."

Meph shook his head. Michael shrugged and didn't ask him any more questions. Meph stayed quiet all the way home, retreating to his bedroom with only a muffled, "Good night," to his brothers.

As the two angels left the mansion for their own homes, Michael broke the silence again.

"Gabe...I think you might have scared him with all that Great Pit talk."

"He needed to hear it," Gabriel answered curtly.

"But he's still just a little guy."

"He won't be 'little' forever. If he were to rebel, he could do great harm."

"To what? Or whom? Her Majesty wouldn't let anything be destroyed here; She made it all perfect and good!"

Gabriel stopped and looked up at the bright, dancing waves of colorful light in the sky.

"Our Lady is literally playing with fire. I can only hope She knows what She's doing."


	4. Chapter 4

Mephistopheles couldn't sleep that night. He was tired from the grand tour and desperately wanted to sleep, but Gabriel's talk of banishment, rebellion and The Great Pit played on a continuous loop in his young mind. The thought of losing his wings was bad enough, but to never see Providence again...that was horrifying. Worse, what if he had "stepped out of line" already? What if Providence was already plotting his banishment? And what would be the reason for this banishment? Would it be for the time he snuck up behind Gabriel with a spider and scared him? The time he mussed up the lion's mane and painted his claws pink? The time he climbed up on Uriel's big shoulders yelling for a piggyback ride?

He huddled further into the blanket and held his goat plushie in front of his face.

"I'm scared, Binky," he said to it. "Provvy's my friend... She wouldn't kick me out...right?"

He put the plushie close to his ear and squeezed it, causing it to squeak.

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

He squeezed it again.

"You want me to ask her? But Gabe doesn't like it when I ask things! He thinks it's bad!"

Another squeeze.

"Yeah, you're right. Gabe _is_ a stick in the mud. What does _he_ know?"

He got out of his bed with "Binky" in tow, heading for Providence's room – a room where few other angels journeyed, and even then, only on certain occasions. He crept slowly and quietly down the hall, placing one foot in front of the other with great care. He had no need to move so softly; there was only himself and Providence in the mansion, but he was supposed to be asleep and he didn't want to get in trouble.

Providence's room wasn't too far from his own, and he soon found himself staring at the closed door. The door had a brilliant gold star on the top, with the name "Providence" spelled out in block letters painted in the same glittering gold. Below the star and words was the doorknob, which resembled a many-faceted white diamond, twinkling as it reflected light from elsewhere in the room. Meph gazed at the glistening doorknob, clutching Binky tighter. His maker's presence was very strong here, and it made his heart swell with joy, but he was nervous as well.

"I don't know about this, Binky..."

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door, gently at first, then a little harder.

Providence answered, "Who is it?"

Meph was quiet for a moment, stunned that Providence actually heard him.

"Umm...it's me...Mephistopheles..."

"Mephy?" She replied cheerfully. "Come on in, hun; the door's open!"

Relieved that She sounded so happy to see him, Meph opened the door. Providence's room was...surprisingly plain. It was a simple bedroom decked in simple white and beige and cream colored tones, and all around were dark wood tables and dressers piled high with cluttered notes and sketches and what appeared to be rough blueprints. Providence Herself was sitting on the large, plush bed, wearing soft white pajamas, holding an open notebook in Her lap and a golden ballpoint pen in Her hand. She looked over at the young red-headed angel and smiled at him.

"Do you need something, baby?"

Meph shuffled closer to the bed. "Ummm...I-I can't sleep."

"How come?" She patted an empty spot on the bed. "Come up here; you can tell me."

Meph climbed up on the bed and sat next to her, holding Binky close. He looked away from her and said nothing.

Providence inched a bit closer to him. "I love you, Mephy. Don't be afraid to tell me what's got you so down."

Meph looked up at Her with wide, anxious eyes. "Do you love me? Do you _really_ love me?"

She frowned in confusion and raised an eyebrow, answering, "Of course I do. Don't you know? Do you think I don't?"

Meph looked away again and was silent.

"What makes you say something like that?"

He shrugged halfheartedly. "I... I-I don't know, just...wondering..."

Knowing better than to believe that answer, She put Her notebook and pen down, and then pulled the little angel up into Her lap.

"C'mon, sweetie. You can tell me anything."

He sniffled and cuddled into Her. "W-Well… Gabe told me that if I keep asking questions and getting in trouble..." He held Binky tighter, eliciting a small squeak. "Th-that I'll lose my wings a-and get thrown in a pit! And you'll n-n-never talk to me again!" He buried her face in her clothes and sobbed.

It broke Providence's heart to see Her little angel crying; his tears so warm they steamed off his cheeks

"Oh no, honey, don't cry. Gabriel's too serious for his own good."

She gave him a squeeze and nuzzled him. "He doesn't understand how special you are. You won't get thrown out just for asking questions; you're _supposed_ to be curious."

"I... I am?" Meph cuddled against her, keeping Binky close to him.

Providence nodded. "Of course. I want you to ask questions and see things your own way." She kissed his forehead. "You're perfect the way you are."

Meph rested her head on Her chest, still sniffling here and there. He felt much better being held in his creator's arms. He stayed quiet for a while, and then looked up at Her again, asking, "Umm...Provvy?"

"Yes, honey?"

He fidgeted a little. "Can I stay in here with you? Just for tonight?"

Providence stroked his bright orange hair softly. "Of course you can, baby. You and Binky can stay with me and we'll have ourselves a little sleepover. How about that?"

Meph smiled. "That's a great idea." He turned to his plushie. "Do you like it, Binky?" He gave him a squeeze and made him squeak.

Providence laughed warmly. "I think he says yes." She snapped Her fingers and a plate of star-shaped cookies appeared, along with a glass of milk.

Meph's eyes lit up as he took the plate and glass. "Thanks, Your Majest—I mean, Provvy!" He started happily nibbling on one of the cookies, but then stopped and looked down. "Uh-oh, I'm getting crumbs in the bed..."

"It's all right," She said reassuringly, brushing some of the crumbs away.

Meph offered half of a cookie to Binky, but of course nothing happened. "Huh, guess you're not hungry." Providence laughed at this, amused.

The little redhead finished off his cookies and milk, and flopped on his back in the bed with a contented sigh. Looking up at the finely lit ceiling, he let out a small yawn.

"Getting sleepy?" His creator asked.

Meph frowned and scoffed: "No way!"

"Good. That means I can do...this!" She started tickling him.

"Ackppftth! Stop!" Meph squealed, laughing and trying to wriggle away to no avail. Then he felt the familiar burning pain in his stomach that made him ill, and he curled up on his side and whined.

Providence's face fell. "Oh, no... got the lava acting up again, didn't I?"

"Y-Yeah..." Meph whimpered, curling up tighter.

She scooped him up in Her arms and hugged him, holding him close to Her chest.

"I'm sorry, baby..."

Meph clung to her pajamas and sniffled; he had started crying again from the pain. "It hurts really bad..."

Providence kissed his cheek sympathetically and, with a snap of her fingers, conjured up another glass of milk for him. He took it gratefully and gulped it down, eager for some relief. He let out a big sigh when he finished, a puff of steam escaping his mouth.

She gently put a hand on his belly, asking, "Feeling better?"

He nodded. "Yeah, a little..." He laid back in Her arms a bit more. "Umm...can you sing for me?"

She held him closer. "I'd love to."

The boy relaxed his shoulders and smiled as his maker began singing to him, singing in the language of the universe – singing words he didn't understand in his head, but words he certainly understood in his heart. Her soft voice soothed him and healed the pain in his body, and he drifted off to sleep at last.

Providence was pleased to see the relief in his face, and She was also pleased to hear the faint little snores that indicated he was in a deep, serene sleep. She pulled back the blankets on Her large bed and gently placed him on it, tucking him in. She was just about to get back to work on Her new designs when She realized She was forgetting something. She took Binky and placed him in the crook of Meph's arm, smiling fondly as he cuddled the plushie in his sleep. Not only had She cured his stomachache, but She knew she had eased his fears as well.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Gabriel and Michael returned to Providence's mansion. It was time for their little brother's first day at Sandalphon's school for young angels, and they had come to collect him.

Michael knocked on the door of Mephistopheles' room. "Hey, Meph! Wakey-wakey!"

Gabriel cleared his throat and joined in, "You need to get ready for school!"

No response. Michael knocked again, but shrugged when he still got nothing. "Poor kid, he must be all tuckered out from that big tour."

"Then he needs to be _un_ -tuckered out," said Gabriel, idly straightening his tie.

Michael knocked a little louder and leaned closer to the door; maybe his (presumably) sleeping brother could hear him better that way. "Look, kid, Gabe felt kinda bad about that whole Great Pit thing..."

"I never said that!" Gabriel snapped, his wings flapping out in alarm.

Michael just smirked and ignored him. "Anyway, he wanted to make it up to ya, so he got your breakfast ready."

Gabriel sighed. "Yes, there's a big bowl of Cloudy-O's waiting for you in the dining room." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Though that wasn't my idea at all," he muttered, "the brat eats too much junk food as it is..."

Again the two of them waited for a response, but never got one.

"What's going on?" said Michael, scratching his head.

"Open the door and check on him," said Gabriel.

Michael opened the door and turned on the light. To his immense shock, his little brother's bed was empty! "Uh...Gabe..."

Gabriel peered over Michael's shoulder. "What's wrong?" Then he too saw the vacant bed. "He...h-he's gone!" He started looking around the hall in a panic. "My stars, where can he be?!"

"I dunno, but we gotta find him!" said Michael, who was now inside the bedroom looking behind pillows and under the bed.

"We must tell Her Majesty! Hurry!" Gabriel started sprinting down the hall to Providence's room.

Michael joined him with a fearful whimper. "Aww man, if she thinks we let something happen to him, she'll pluck our feathers out!"

Gabriel reached the door with its gold star and diamond doorknob and knocked on it rapidly. "My Lady! My Lady! Michael and I need to speak with you at once!"

Providence opened the door with a strict look and a finger pressed against her lips. _"Shhhhhhhh!"_ She then motioned with her head and eyes to the bed behind her, in which little Meph was still curled up and sleeping.

Gabriel and Michael leaned in for a closer look and were bewildered by what they saw. "What is he doing in here?" Gabriel asked quietly.

"How come he's not in his room?" said Michael.

"He had a little trouble getting to sleep last night," Prov explained. "He heard some things from you guys that really worried him." She gave Gabriel a look of disapproval.

Michael glanced at his companion. "Oooh, little brother ratted you out," he mumbled in a singsong voice.

Gabriel's brow furrowed. "I was just teaching him the law."

"Don't give me that 'just teaching the law' nonsense," said Prov, putting her hands on her hips. "You know I made him different, and you don't like it. Don't you know everything I make is good?"

Gabriel drew back. "Then why did you give him the capability to _not_ be good?"

Prov glared at him. "You don't know if I did that!"

"And I don't _want_ to know." Gabriel leaned in closer and glared back at her.

Providence stamped a foot and pointed to the door in a huff. "Get out of here and let him sleep! Both of you!" She was angry, but she tried to keep her voice down.

With timid eyes and wilted wings, the two angels backed out of the room with a halfhearted, "Yes, My Lady."

Prov closed the door, shaking her head. Then she turned her attention back to Meph, who was lightly stirring under the blankets, about to wake up.

The small angel yawned and nuzzled into Binky, slowly opening his eyes and looking around. He seemed confused at first, then smiled sweetly. He remembered where he was now.

"Good morning, sweetie." Prov cooed to him, sitting close by and petting his hair gently. "It's your first day of school today. You excited?"

Meph nodded and yawned. "Yeah...school..." He closed his eyes and started falling back to sleep again, but then his eyes popped wide open. "School!" He flung the blanket off himself and jumped out of bed, grabbing Binky by his stubby plush arm. "That's where I'll learn to fly and sing and play the harp!"

Prov chuckled at his excitement. "Yep, that's right."

Meph glanced at his wings. They had grown larger, and the fluffy white down was starting to be replaced by beautiful bronze-colored feathers. "You think I'm ready to fly, Provvy?"

"I know you will be soon," said Prov, opening the door for him. "Now, let's pick out your clothes and get your breakfast. Miss Sandy's gonna love you, I just know it."

Meph scurried down the hall to his room, digging through his dresser for something to wear. He carelessly threw out a myriad of clothes as he searched, and Prov narrowly missed getting hit in the face with a pair of shorts as she entered the room. "Careful, Mephy!"

Meph looked up from his searching and saw the mess he'd made. "Oooh, Gabe's gonna be mad..."

Prov smiled. "Don't worry." She snapped her fingers and the clothes instantly returned to the drawers, organized even more neatly than before. "Let me help you, baby." She looked around in the drawers and pulled out some good choices. "Okay, which do you like better?"

Meph looked at her two ideas and smiled, pointing to the outfit on the left. "That one!"

Prov nodded and handed him the clothes. "Good choice. You'll look cute in this. The blue will make your hair stand out nice."

Meph took the outfit and stepped behind a folding screen decorated with stars and clouds, throwing his pajamas over the top edge. Then he stepped out dressed in his school outfit, smiling proudly with his arms out. "Ta-da!"

Prov smiled and clapped a little. "Looking good!"

Meph then dashed out of his room and to the staircase, sliding down the handrail (something Gabriel never permitted, but he knew Providence wouldn't mind). He scampered to the dining room eager to find something good (like Cloudy-O's), but to his dismay, Gabriel had instead set out a box and bowl of Enriched Stardust Flakes, a "healthy" cereal that Meph hated. The little angel made a disgusted face and pushed the bowl away. "Yecch!"

Providence, who had followed him to the dining room and was now standing behind his chair, chuckled softly. "C'mon, Mephy, that stuff's good for you."

Meph just pouted and crossed his arms. "I don't like it! Fix it!"

"All right then..." Prov snapped her fingers and changed the Stardust Flakes to Cloudy-O's.

Now that it was more to his liking, Mephistopheles dug into the cereal eagerly, little flutters of his wings showing his enjoyment. Prov was glad her tiny charge was happy, even if she would rather he liked the healthier option.

Finishing his cereal, Meph got up and asked, "Provvy, can I have some apples for the class?"

"What for?" said Providence.

"I...uhh...I wanna give 'em to everyone. You know, as presents."

The creative lady cooed softly, "Oh, sweetie, that's so kind. Of course you can!" She made a note of this and hoped to later implement this idea, apples for school. It sounded good.

Meph grabbed his yellow backpack and went to the garden to pick apples, snickering. He spent so much time in the garden that he knew every tree, and he strategically picked the apples that he knew would have worms in them. "Heh, this'll get a good laugh," he muttered to himself. He enjoyed pranks, even when others didn't. When he'd gathered enough apples, he headed back to Prov, who was waiting at the front doors.

Prov chuckled as she took his hand, noting the heavy lumpiness in his backpack. "All right, baby, let's get going."

Meph was about to walk out with her, but then stopped, eyes wide. "Wait!" He let go of his maker's hand and ran back upstairs, then came back carrying his beloved goat plushie. "Heh...can't forget Binky!"

* * *

The Angel Academy, though by no means as splendid as Providence's mansion, was nonetheless a large, beautiful building made of marble and adorned with delightful, shimmering gemstones. It took some effort for Meph to get up the stairs with the heaviness in his backpack, but he thought the look on everyone's faces when they got their "surprise" would be worth it. He found his classroom—a bright, colorful room perfect for angel children like himself—and was promptly greeted by his teacher, Sandalphon—or "Miss Sandy," as the young ones (and others) called her.

She looked at Meph and smiled warmly. "Hello there. I'm Miss Sandy, and I'll be your teacher."

The little angel toddled over and stood next to her, and she took his hand gently. "Class, this is Mephistopheles. He lives with Her Majesty in the mansion. Say hello."

The other little angels said "Hi!" in a smattering, and Meph felt his wings fluff out. He took the backpack off his shoulders with a smile and unzipped it. "I brought treats for everyone!"

His fellow classmates gathered around him and his open backpack, peering inside. Eagerly, they each grabbed an apple and took a bite...only to find worms popping out immediately afterwards! They all screamed and dropped their apples in horror—except for one pudgy boy angel who just shrugged and kept eating—while Meph just laughed, loving every minute of this. Then he heard the _thump thump thump_ of someone angrily tapping their foot behind him. He turned around to see Gabriel standing with his arms folded and a disapproving frown upon his face.

"G-Gabe!" Meph said in surprise.

Gabriel glowered at his brother. "Mephistopheles," he said, raising an eyebrow, "why did you give all the children bad apples?"

Meph shrugged. "Because it was funny?"

"It was _not_ funny!" Gabriel leaned down till he was nearly nose to nose with the smaller angel, "Behavior like that is what makes angels fall!"

The color rushed out of Meph's face, and his tiny body tensed, "G-Gabe...i-it was just a joke..."

"Jokes like that will be the end of you, Mephistopheles," he hissed quietly in reply.

Seeing the distress and having dealt with the other students already, including gently taking the core and fearful caterpillar from the chubby angel, Miss Sandy came and put a hand on Meph's shoulder, "Gabriel, dear, no one got hurt, and I'm sure that whatever you just told him has made him suitably sorry."

Meph clung to Sandy's dress, his tearful golden eyes looking up at her.

Huffing, Gabriel stood up and said curtly, "He's in your care now, Sandalphon. See to it that you remove that rebellious streak from him. Michael and I have not been successful thus far." He adjusted his shirt and left, nearly slamming the door in his annoyance.

With the source of the tension finally gone, Sandy leaned down and hugged Meph close, "Oh sweetie, don't mind Gabe. He's always been too rough on little ones." She pet his hair gently as her new charge sniffled. "You're safe with me, my little poodle."

He didn't like the nickname, but the love behind her words made him believe her and hug tighter. "Th-thank you…"

Cooing, she picked him up and set him on her hip. "Would you apologize to the class though? They weren't very happy about the worms."

Nodding, Meph turned to the other kids, who were looking at him. Some were worried, some were confused, and some were obviously very mad. He said softly, "S-sorry...I just wanted to make you guys laugh..."

"I'm proud of you for apologizing, Mephistopheles. That was very grown up." Sandy kissed his forehead, then said to the class, "And what do we do when someone is sorry, children?"

A soft chorus of "we forgive you" came from the kids, though some weren't as sincere as others.

Sandy nodded approvingly and asked, "Do you feel better now?"

Meph wiped his eyes and nose on his sleeve and nodded again.

"Okay then, poodle. I'm gonna set you down and you go sit with the class. We'll get back to lessons and then have recess after a bit." Sandy put the shamed angel back on his feet, and the boy toddled off toward the back. "Alright. Now, class..."

* * *

Later that day on the playground, all the other students were playing, and Meph stood nervously at the edge with Binky in his hand.

"You think they're still mad about the worms?" he said to Binky, giving him a squeeze.

The plush goat squeaked.

"Yeah, they said they forgive me. They'll all be nice to me now." He stuffed Binky into his pocket and headed towards the playground.

Then he heard someone approaching him from behind, and turned to see three of the older students towering above him.

"So," said their leader, "you're Our Lady's little favorite, huh?" He was a big kid; strong, barrel-chested, and about twice as tall as Meph was.

Providence's favorite? Meph always knew he was special, but he didn't know how to respond to this. "Uhhh..."

Another boy, not quite as big as the first but still intimidating, sneered at him. "Don't bother answerin', brat. We already know all about you."

Meph pressed his wings tightly against his back. "Who are you?"

The first boy smirked. "Name's Camael, and these are my boys Ophiel and Habriel. Gabe told us about you a long time ago."

Meph blinked. "He...he did?"

"Yeah," said Ophiel.

"Let's get him, Cam!" said Habriel.

Meph hunched up his shoulders and started backing away. "I-I said I was sorry about the apples!"

"Oh, this ain't about that," said Camael. "Gabe says you're gonna screw everything up around here."

"So we're gonna make sure you never do," said Ophiel.

As Meph continued trying to get away from these scary boys, Binky fell out of his pocket and landed on the ground.

The three strong boys' eyes immediately fell on the little plush.

"Aww, lookie here," said Ophiel.

"He brought his little dolly," said Habriel.

"He's not a dolly!" Meph shouted. "He's a goat and he's my friend!"

He tried to pick up Binky, but Camel snatched him up before Meph could reach him.

"Oh yeah?" said Camael. He clutched the plushie tight and ripped its head off its body with his strong arms, then tossed the pieces at Meph's feet. "How about now?"

Meph gasped loudly. _"Binky!"_ He wailed, dropping to his knees and sobbing.

Camael and his goons laughed at Meph, but were interrupted by a little girl's voice. "Leave him alone, Cam!"

The three bullies turned around to see seven other angels, only a bit older than Meph was. The oldest among them was a girl with fire-engine red hair, and she stood at the front of the group with her arms folded. "He didn't do anything to you, Cam! You're a meanie!"

A pudgy male angel stuck his tongue out at the older kids. "And you smell!"

Camael huffed, glaring at the children. "You brats should mind your own business."

Finally, a light blue haired boy stepped up, hands crackling with lightning. "What did you call me, Cam?!"

Ophiel saw the lighting and gulped. "Aww, geez, it's Ramiel..."

"A-And he's doing that lightning hands thing!" Habriel chimed in.

"Let's get outta here!" Ophiel yelped, running away with Habriel following suit.

Camael scowled. "Ophie! Habbs! Get back here!" But they paid him no mind and kept running. He groaned and shook his head. "Buncha cowards..." He turned to Meph. "I'll be back for you, you little brat!" He then took off after his fainthearted toadies.

Meph looked up at his rescuers. "Th-thank you..."

The seven little angels crowded around him and the redheaded girl grinned. "We had to save you. You're the new kid."

The lightning boy nodded. "Yeah, and those jerks tried to scare us when we were new, too."

"But Rammy knows how to scare 'em off," added the pudgy one.

Meph let his wings come unstuck from his back, still sniffling but trying to smile. "What's your name?" he asked the girl.

"I'm Azazel," she said, "and my friends are Ramiel, Shamsiel, Turiel, Kokabiel, Bezaliel, and Penemiel."

"It's nice to meet you," said Shamsiel, a blonde bespectacled boy.

"Oh yeah, and thanks for the apples," Penemiel, the chubby one, said with a grin.

Meph nodded, then looked down at the torn remains of his plushie and started crying again.

"Don't worry about your toy," said Bezaliel, a violet haired girl, picking up the pieces.

"Yeah, like, Miss Sandy can fix him up good as new," said Turiel, a shaggy haired boy with disheveled clothes.

"That's a nice little goat," said Kokabiel, a green haired girl with eyes equally as green. "Wish I had a toy like that..."

"C'mon, Mephy," said Ramiel, "let's go find Miss Sandy."

Meph followed Ramiel and the rest of his new friends. "Umm...can I hang out with you guys? I'm afraid Cam's gonna come back soon..."

"Sure!" said Azazel.

"If he comes back, I'll show him who's boss," said Ramiel.

"Cam looks mean, but he's a sissy," said Penemiel.

"Yeah, he's not like Gabe," said Shamsiel. "Now _he's_ scary."

Meph's wings went up in surprise. "You know Gabe?"

"Yeah," said Shamsiel. "He comes in sometimes to help Miss Sandy. He told me I was gonna fall too."

"Like, he said that to all seven of us," said Turiel.

"He said I was gonna go to The Great Pit 'cause I wouldn't share my lunch," said Kokabiel.

Meph winced at the mention of that dark place. "You...you know about The Great Pit too?"

"Like, totally," said Turiel. "That's where bad angels go."

"I know that," said Meph, "but what makes an angel bad?"

They all stopped walking, their faces growing serious. Shamsiel looked down, deep in thought. "A bad angel," he said, "is one that doesn't obey Her Majesty."

"B-But what does _that_ mean?" said Meph, unsatisfied with this answer.

Turiel shivered and started walking again. "Like, let's stop talking about that, man! It gives me the creeps!"

The others started following him. Shamsiel turned to Meph. "Come on, let's just find Miss Sandy and fix your toy."

Meph sighed and reluctantly joined them, still troubled. Life as an angel was mysterious, and apparently so were the rules of Heaven. He could only hope that he understood more as he grew...


	6. Chapter 6

With recess over, it was time for flight lessons. Mephistopheles had looked forward to this part of the school day more than anything else. He had often seen his brothers, with their large wings, flying to and fro around the mansion grounds while serving Providence, and he wanted to be like them. He stood eagerly at the edge of the flight course, alongside his seven new friends, waiting for the lesson to begin.

Uriel, the Angel Academy's flight instructor, soon arrived. Meph had met him before; he was a large, bulky man with broad shoulders, and his beard and hair were a bright emerald green that contrasted his dark skin.

"All right, you tweety birds," he thundered at the students, hitting his palm with his fist. "I've got a challenge for you all today." He gestured with his arm to the obstacle course behind him. It was a large course, with many sharp turns, brightly colored hoops to be flown through, and tall posts to avoid running into. "Think you're ready for it, kids?"

Meph eagerly hopped in place."Yes! Yes yes yes!" His little wings were fluttering excitedly, and the other kids started catching his enthusiasm. Soon there were many fluffy feathers floating around.

Uriel nodded approvingly. "Alright. We'll go by name order, pairing off."

The little ginger angel groaned and folded his arms to pout. He'd have to wait forever! His name was in the very middle and there were so many kids with higher names. Sitting down, he waited his turn with his friends.

Penemiel sat next to him, mumbling as he took something out of his lunchbox. To Meph, it looked like a glob of melted cheese wrapped up in something flat.

"Cheer up, Mephy, said Penemiel. "At least ya don't have to wait as long as me, right?"

Meph nodded. "Yeah…I guess so." He wondered if Pen's wings could even lift him up.

"Ahhh, flyin's easy. Don't worry." Pen took a bite out of his snack.

"I'm not worried at all!" Meph grinned. "I take good care of my wings, so I'll be able to fly really well. Provvy said so."

Pen tilted his head. "Who?"

"Oh...I mean, Her Grace," said Meph. He looked closer at the thing Pen was eating. "What's that?"

Pen smiled. "It's a cheese burrito. Wanna taste?" He handed it to Meph.

Meph made a face at the teeth marks and oozing, runny cheese. "Eughh...not now, thanks."

"More for me, then!" Pen stuffed the rest of it into his mouth.

So Meph waited...and waited...and waited...until he heard Uriel call, "Next up, Mephistopheles and Metatron!"

Meph sprung to his feet, wings and feathers all in a flurry, and dashed to the starting point of the course to join his flying partner.

Metatron was older than Meph and his seven new friends, and was a sleek, stone-faced lad with silvery wings and a streak of white in the middle of his jet-black hair. He glanced down at the younger angel, inspecting his wings with great gravity before rolling his eyes and shaking his head. Meph found that rude; why did the older angel act so... _displeased_ with him?

Uriel blew into his whistle, the shrill sound blasting both angels out of their reverie. "Go!"

Metatron took off right away, so fast that Meph barely saw him go. Eager to catch up with him, he leapt into the air and starting flapping his wings...which didn't do what they were supposed to do, and he fell flat on the ground. He got up and tried again...and he still couldn't do it. He whined, trying over and over again to no avail, just leaping into the air and falling right back down again no matter how hard or fast he flapped his wings.

After Meph had struggled with his wings for a long while—and was now on the verge of tears—Metatron had already made it back to the start of the course, landing perfectly with a proud grin. Uriel looked down at the younger angel, raising an eyebrow. "Why can't ya get off the ground, kid?"

'Tch, isn't it obvious?" said Metatron with a sarcastic sneer, pointing at Meph's wings. "He hasn't yet shed his juvenile plumage."

Meph, who had fallen flat on his face again, looked up at his smug classmate. "Wh-what?"

Uriel sighed. "He means ya still got baby feathers. That's why you can't fly." He helped Meph to his feet and brushed some dirt off his clothes. "Better go back to the bench, kid."

"But I wanna keep trying!" Meph pleaded.

"You heard Uriel," Metatron barked, pointing to the bench. "Go sit down."

Meph hung his head and shuffled back to the bench, wiping away his tears. He sat down and whimpered into his sleeve.

Shamsiel was beside him, still waiting his turn. "Why are you crying?"

"C-Cause I have b-baby feathers..." said Meph, still crying and not making eye contact with his friend. "A-And I can't fly..." He sniffled. "Stupid wings..."

Shamsiel scooted closer to him. "I don't think they're stupid. I think they're pretty—uh, I mean, shiny. Yeah, they're shiny. They're good wings."

Meph stayed silent and ignored him. Sham just shrugged and continued waiting for his turn. So much for trying to be encouraging...

Meph was quiet and downcast for the rest of the school day, just keeping to himself and cuddling Binky (whom Miss Sandy had sewn back together) for comfort. When Mike came to pick him up, and saw how sad he was, he knew something was wrong. Meph had been excited about school; why was he acting so depressed about it all of a sudden?

"Everything okay, little bro?" he asked.

"Yeah..." Meph answered quietly.

Mike was unconvinced. "Did you have a bad first day of school?"

Meph shook his head. "I just...wanna go home...I miss Provvy..."

Mike nodded. "Ahh, ya got homesick. I see. Well, I'm sure Her Majesty missed you too. She'll be glad to see you."

When they arrived at the mansion, however, Meph didn't go looking for Providence. Instead, he headed straight for the garden with his head down. He passed right by his favorite apple trees, his favorite animals...he ignored all the things that usually brought him joy whenever he came out there, and instead made his way to a small pond in the middle of the garden.

He looked at his reflection in the water, flaring out his wings so he could see them. Then he turned around to inspect them more closely. His wings were very different than those of his brothers and his friends; they were a dark blackish-bronze, and had a rough, jagged, almost bat-like shape. But what struck his eye the most were the patches of fluffy white down that still remained, the down that Metatron (and Uriel) had so rudely told him was the reason he couldn't fly.

 _Baby feathers..._ thinking about that statement made his throat burn and his eyes water, trying in vain to hold back the tears. Angry at himself, at the feathers, at the other angels, he tried to pull the down off , yelping from the pain. A few drops of golden ichor dripped from the torn feathers, and it was enough to start the water works. Meph curled up in a ball and wailed. He was the worst angel in Heaven; he couldn't fly, Gabe was always scolding him, and he was sure this would be the last straw for Prov to send him to The Great Pit.

There was a soft step, and he turned to see Providence kneeling next to him. "Was it all that bad, sweetie?"

Despite the embarrassment and everything else, Meph couldn't stop himself from clinging to Her and sobbing.

The gentle lady let Her hands slide over his injury, cooing, "Baby, no, you shouldn't hurt yourself. Why are you making your beautiful wings bleed?"

"Take 'em off!" Meph cried. "I hate my wings! I hate 'em! I hate 'em!"

"Why do you hate them?" said Prov. "I made them especially for you."

"Th-they don't work..." he mumbled, nuzzling into Her chest. "T-Too little….I'm a baby."

"No, you've grown a lot." Prov healed the wound good as new, picking Meph up in Her arms. "If you're talking about your fluffy feathers, those will grow out in time."

"B-But they laughed at me….I-I can't fly!"

"Not yet." said Prov, stroking Meph's hair. "But you will someday."

Meph clung to Her a little tighter, whimpering softly. "What if I never do? Will that..." He paused and wet his lips, "...will that make me a bad angel?"

"Oh honey, no," Prov assured him. "I'll still love you even if you never learn to fly."

Meph looked up at her. "You mean it?"

"Of course. Besides, if you didn't fly, it would give me more time to admire the wings I gave you." She held one of his wings gently, stroking the feathers. "Awww, who could ever hurt something so pretty?"

Meph's eyes got teary again, and he wiped them away with one hand. "I-I'm sorry I tried to pull them off..."

Prov held him closer. "It's all right. Now, who laughed at your feathers?"

Meph frowned. "It was Metatron. He was really rude."

"Ah, Tronnie," said Prov with a soft chuckle. "I should have known. I'll have a talk with him about that. No one should laugh at you just because you're different." She stood up, carrying Meph in Her arms and heading back to the mansion. "But right now, you'd better get some rest. And starting tomorrow, I'll have Mike give you some flying practice. He'll know how to help you."

Meph nodded and yawned. Then he glanced up at the sky and gasped, eyes twinkling. "The stars are out!"

Prov smiled. "I know."

"Did you really put them all up there?"

"Yes. And I know every single one. They're all mine." She opened the door to the mansion and carried Meph down the hall to his room. Sensing how tired he was, She waved a hand over him and changed his school clothes to pajamas, then tucked him into bed.

"I want you to remember something, Mephy. No matter what anyone says, or how much they laugh, or what names they call you, you'll always be mine." She kissed him on the forehead. "And I love everything that's mine."

Meph's eyes were already closed by the time she finished, but he still heard Her words clearly, and his heart was warm with joy and peace.


End file.
